Piano-playing-control system.



RJA. GALLY.

PIANO PLAYING CONTROL SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.12, 191a.

Patented July 21, 1914.

Z r 4, 1 w m 9N1 w MW 7 0 m E m n v P "3 6 v 0 n 7.1.. 9 M ln m W. 1 7m UNITED STATESPMTENT OFFIQE ROBERT A. GALLY, F CINCINNATI, (EH16, ASSIG-NOR- TO THE BALDW'IN COMPANY, OF

' CINCINNATI, GI-IIO.

Application filed February 12, 1913.

To all whom it may colic-era Be it known that 1, ROBERT A. GALLY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton, State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Piano-Playing-Control Systems, of which the following a speci lication.

Previous arrangements of control handles, connections and devices for player pianos of horizontal type, as grands, have been complicated, indirect and diiiicult of access, where the present invention has a simple, orderly disposition of parts within easy view, reach and removal.

in the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a grand piano with the strings, plate and most of the soundboard removed to show the present invention, and Fig. 2 is a view from the rear with the rim cut away at hand B of 1 and the posts removed, except at their places of attachment to the cross rail.

The horizontal case has a rim 1 with several braces as 2, 3 and 4 connected from said rim to a cross-rail 5 at points intermediate the length of said rail. A keybed or table '3 is attached underneath the front of said rim 1 with its rear part joining the cross-rail 5. From the top of said cross-rail. 5 is an extension 7 and bearing-rail 8 on which is attached the front edge of the soundboard 9 which extends rearwardly above and clear of the posts 2, 3 and 4.

Forward of the soundboard 9 and its supporting parts 8, 7 and 5, is the wrest-plank of pin-block 10, under which the piano action is placed, of which only a few hammers 11 are shown in Fig. 1, at the break or extra space of the scale of the piano.

Tempo handle 12 is placed at the front of the keybed 6 and has a shaft 13 extending rearwardly and beyond the back of the keybed 6 and cross-rail 5, with a suitable crank 14 at its rear end.

Secondary tempo control rocker 15 or other similar device at front of keybed 6 has a shaft 16 extending rearwardly and beyond the back of the keybed 6 and cross rail 5, with a suitable crank 17 at its rear end.

Reroll arm 18 at the front of the wrestplank 10 has its shaft 19 extending rearwardly immediately underneath the wrestplank 10 and the soundboard 9, a notch 20 being provided in bearing rail 8 to give a of Letters ZFatent.

44 ant.

i tempo rocker PIANO-PLAYENG-GONTEGL SYSTEM.

Patented July 21, 1914. Serial No. 747,936.

room for this shaft 19, which shaft and notch are positioned at a break or extra space in the piano scale where there is suflicient room between the piano hammers 11 to accommodate said shaft 19. At rear of this shaft 19 is a suitable crank 22.

The three shafts 13, 16 and 19 preferably terminate at different positions rearward of the kcybed 6 and cross-rail so that their cranks 14, 1'? and 22 may have connecting, wires 23, 24 and 25 extending crosswise of the piano ithout interference, even though in one plane immediately under the braces 2, 3 and 4 for best economy of room, especially when the bellows pumpers 26 and 2? are placed in horizontal position under and adajcent the braces 2, 3 and 4, with the wires 23, 24 and 25 lying neatly between the posts and pumpers.

The far ends of wires 23, 24 and cugage with crai ks which respectively control reaiavardly extending connections to the tempo, secondary tempo, and the cutout and reroll valves, as will now be described.

Tempo connecting wire 23 at its far end is attached t an arm 28 of vertical crank 29, ha ring another arm 30 to which connecting wire 01 is attached, which wire 31 leads roar. aid to the tempo-valve rod 32 of te1npo box 33.

Secondary-tempo connecting wire 25 at its end is attached to an arm 34 at the ir nt end of a rock-shaft. at the rear end of which is an arm 36 from which connecting wire 3? leads to the arm 38 which controls the secondary-tempo means in tempo box 33.

Reroll. connecting wire 24 at its far end is attached to an arm at the front of rockshaft 39, at the rear end of which shaft, is an arm 40 from which a connecting wire 41 leads to an actuating arm 42 which works the direct air service valve inside the tempobox intermediate the rock-shaft 39 is an arm extending under the cutout box having a rod 45 to operate the cutout valve inside said cut-out box 44.

The three controls have an orderly and ted igement, yet each can be distinctly traced as follows: Tempo handle 12, shaft and arm 14; wire 23; arm 28, r clrer 29 and arm 30; and wire 31 to valve rod of the tempo boX 33. Secondary- 15, shaft 16 and arm 17; wire 25; arm 34, rock-shaft 35 and arm 36; and wire 37 to the arm of the secondary tempo means of the tempo-box 33, the rocker 15 being adapted for operation as in my Patent #1,056,984t, issued March 25, 1913. Reroll arm 18, shaft 19, and arm 22; wire 2%; arm and shaft 39; arm 40; and wire ll to arm 42 of the direct-air service valve in tempo-box 33; the intermediate arm 43 of shaft 39 acting on rod and the cut-out valve in box 14. Thus there are four subdivisions of part-s of the controls,forward longitudinal shafts 13, 16 and 19; forward transverse wires 23, 24: and 25; rearward longitudil'ial shafts 35 and 39 and wire 31; and rearward transverse wires 37 and il, and intermediate transverse arm 43.

Various different details of shafts, cranks, arms and connections may be used in application of this system of controls, and modified forms and positions of tempo and cutoutvboxes, etc., and yet be subject to.

What I claim as my invention:

1. In a player piano: a keybed or table, control handles at the front of said heybed, shafts extended rearwardly from said handles beyond said keybed and having upwardly extended arms at their rear ends and rearward of said keybed, and connections extended from said rear arms transversely of the piano and lying rearwardly of said keybed; and horizontal braces to said piano rearward of said keybed, and horizontal bellows pumpers positioned below said braces, adjacent thereto, and having a space between said braces and pumpers, said connections lying transversely of the piano in horizontal plane in the said space between the said braces and pumpers.

2, In a player piano: a keybedor table, control handles at the front of said keybed, shafts extended rearwardly from said handles beyond said keybed and having upwardly extended arms at their rear ends and rearward of said keybed, and connections extended from said rear arms transversely of the piano and lying rearwardly of said keybed; and horizontal braces to said piano rearward of said keybed, and horizontal bellows pumpers positioned below said braces, adjacent thereto, and having a space between said braces and pumpers, said eon'neet-ions lying in horizontal plane in the said space between the said braces and pumpers.

3. A player piano having horizontally disposed braces, horizontal bellows pumpers positioned below said braces, adjacent thereto and having a space between said braces and pumpers, and control connections lying transversely of the piano in horizontal plane in the said space between the said braces and pumpers. v

. 4. A player piano having horizontally disposed braces, horizontal bellows pumpers positioned below said braces, adjacent thereto, and having a space between said braces and pumpers, and control connections lying in horizontal plane in the said space between the said braces and pumpers.

5. In a player piano: a keybed or table, control handles at the front of said keybed, shafts extended rearwardly from said handles to the rear of said keybed, and connections extended from the rear ends of said shafts transversely of the piano, and additional longitudinal connections extended rearwardly from the ends of said transverse connections that are distant from their attachment to said shafts, said connections being disposed in substantially horizontal positions.

6. In a player piano: a keybed or table, control handles at the front of said keybed, shafts extended rcarwardly from said handles beyond the rear of said keybed, and connections extended from the rear ends of said shafts transversely of the piano and lying rearwardly of said keybed, and additional longitudinal connections extended rearwardly from the ends of said transverse connect-ions that are distant from their attachment to said shafts, said connections being disposed in substantially horizontal positions.

7. In a player piano: a keybed or table, control handles at the front of said keybcd, shafts extended rearwardly from said handles to the rear of said keybed and having upwardly extended arms at their rear ends, and connections extended from said rear arms transversely of the piano, and additional longitudinal connections extended rearwardly from the ends of said transverse connections that are distant from their attachment to said shafts, said connections being disposed in substantially horizontal positions.

8. In a player piano: a keybed or table, control handles at the front of said keybed, shafts extended rearwardly from said handles beyond said keybed and having upwardly extended arms at their rear ends and rearward of said keybed, and connections extended from said rear arms transversely of the piano and lying rearwardly of said keybed, and additional longitudinal connections extended rearwardly from the ends of said transverse connections that are distant from their attachment to said shafts, said connections being disposed in substantially horizontal posit-ions.

9. In a player piano: a keybed or table, control handles at the front of said keyhed, shafts extended rearwardly from said handles to the rear, of said keybed, and connections extended from the rear ends of said shafts transversely of the piano, and additional longitudinal connections extended rearwardly from the ends of said transverse connections that are distant from their attachment to said shafts, and additional transverse connections attached to the rear ends of the additional longitudinal connections, said connections being disposed in substantially horizontal positions.

10. In a player piano: a keybed or table, control handles at the front of said keybed, shafts extended rearwardly from said handlesbeyond the rear of said keybed, and connections extended from the rear ends of said shafts transversely of the piano and lying rearwardly of said keybed, and additional longitudinal connections extended rearwardly from the ends of said transverse connections that are distant from their attachment to said shafts, and additional transverse connections attached to the rear ends of the additional longitudinal connections, said connections being disposed in substantially horizontal positions.

11. In a player piano: a keybed or table, control handles at the front of said keybed, shafts extended rearwardly from said han dles to the rear of said keybed and having upwardly extended arms at their rear ends, and connections extended from said rear arms transversely of the piano, and additional longitudinal connections extended rearwardly from the ends of said transverse connections that are distant from their attachment to said shafts, and additional transverse connections attached to the rear ends of the additional longitudinal connections, said connections being disposed in substantially horizontal positions.

12. In a player piano: a keybed or table, control handles at the front of said keybed, shafts extended rearwardly from said handles beyond said keybed and having upwardly extended arms at their rear ends and rearward of said keybed, and connections extended from said rear arms transversely of the piano and lying rearwardly of said keybed, and additional longitudinal connections extended rearwardly from the ends of said transverse connections that are distant from their attachment to said shafts, and ad ditional transverse connections attached to the rear ends of the additional longitudinal connections, said connections being disposed in substantially horizontal positions.

13. In a player piano: a wrest-plank, a horizontal soundboard, and a bearing-rail along the under part of the front part of said soundboard, a control arm at the front of said wrest-plank, and a shaft extended rearwardly from said arm immediately under said wrest-plank and soundboard, and a notch in said bearing-rail through which said shaft passes.

14:. In a player piano: a piano action hav ing breaks in its scale, a wrest-plank, a horizontal soundboard, and a bearing-rail along the under part of the front part of said soundboard, a control arm at the front of said wrest-plank, and a shaft extended rearwardly from said arm immediately under said wrest-plank and soundboard, and a notch in said bearing-rail through which said shaft passes, said shaft being at a break position of the scale where there is an extra space between the hammers of the piano action.

15. In a player piano: a wrest-plank, a horizontal soundboard, and a bearing-rail along the under part of the front part of said soundboard, and a shaft extended rearwardly from the front of and immediately under said wrest-plank and soundboard, and a notch in said bearing-rail. through which said shaft passes.

16. In a player piano: a wrest-plank, a horizontal soundboard, and a bearing-rail along the under part of the front part of said soundboard, and a shaft extended rearwardly from the front of and immediately under said wrest-plank and soundboard, and a notch in said bearing-rail through which said shaft passes, said shaft being at a break position of the scale where there is an extra space between the hammers of the piano action.

17. In a player piano: a piano action having breaks in its scale, a wrestplank, a horizontal soundboard. and a bearing-rail along the under part of the front part of said soundboard, a control arm at the front of said wrest-plank, and a shaft extended rearwardly from said arm immediately under said wrest-plank and soundboard.

18. In a player piano: a piano action having breaks in its scale, a wrest-plank, a horizontal sounboard, and a bearing-rail along the under part of the front part of said soundboard, and a shaft extended rear wardly from the front of and immediately under said wrest-plank and soundboard, said shaft being at a break position of the scale where there is an extra space between the hammers of the piano action.

19. In a player piano: a keybed or table, control handles at the front of said keybed, shafts extended rearwardly from said handles to the rear of said keybed and having upwardly extended arms at their rear ends; a horizontal soundboard and a horizontal wrest-plank above said keybed, an upper shaft extended rearwardly from the front of said wrest-plank and immediately under said wrest-plank and soundboard, and an arm extended downwardly from the rear of said upper shaft adjacent the rear of said keybed.

20. In a player piano: a keybed or table, control handles at the front of said keybed, shafts extended rearwardly from said handles to the rear of said keybed and having upwardly extended arms at their rear ends; a horizontal soundboard and a horizontal wrest-plank above said keybed, an upper shaft extended rearwardly from the front of said wrest-plank and immediately under said wrest-plank and soundboard, a crossrail adjacent the front of said soundboard and the rear of said keybed, and an arm extended down from said upper shaft rearward of said cross-rail.

21. In a player piano: a horizontal soundboard and a horizontal wrest-plank forward of and in substantially the same plane as said sound-board, a shaft extended rearwardly from the front of said wrestplank and immediately below said wrestplank and soundboard. I

22. In a player piano: a horizontal soundboard and a bearing-rail under its front edge, a horizontal wrest-plank forward of and in substantially the same plane as said soundboard, a shaft extended rearwardly from the front of said wrest-plank andimmediately under said wrest-plank and soundboard, and a notch in said bearing-rail through which said shaft passes.

23. In a player piano: a piano action having breaks in its scale, a horizontal soundboard and a horizontal wrest-plank forward of and in substantially the same plane as said soundboard, a shaft extended rearwardly from the front of said wrest-plank and immediately below said wrest-plank Q and soundboard, said shaft being at a break position of the scale where there is an extra space between the hammers of the piano actlon.

24. In a player piano; a piano action hav- 111g breaks in 1ts scale, a hor zontal sound- '1 board and a bearlng-rall under 1ts front:

edge, a horizontal wrest-plank forward of and in substantially the same plane as said soundboard, a shaft extended rearwardly from the front of said wrest-plank and immediately under said wrest-plank and soundboard, and a notch in said bearing-rail through which said shaft passes, said shaft being at a break position of the scale where there is an extra space between the hammers of the piano action.

25. In a player piano: a horizontal soundboard and a horizontal wrest-plank forward of and in substantially the same plane as said soundboard, a shaft extended rearwardly from the front of said wrest-plank and immediately below said wrest-plank and Soundboard, and an arm extended downwardly from the rear of said shaft.

26. In a player piano: a rock-shaft longitudinal thereof having a control connection at its front part, a reroll valve device in position transverse to the rear part of said shaft, and a connection transversely disposed from the rear of said shaft to said reroll valve device, and an arm attached to said shaft intermediate its length and a cut-out box and valve adjacent said arm, and a connection means from said arm to said cutout valve.

27. In a horizontal player piano: a reroll control means adjacent the front of said piano, a reroll valve device in the rearward cut-out valve intermediate the positions of,

the control means and reroll valve device, and actuating means intermediate the length I of the connection means and connected to said cut-out valve.

ROBT. A. GALLY.

Witnesses:

S. M. WAMACKS, FREDERICK S. GEST.

comes ot this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

